Jon's Final Florida Journal For Real

[Jon]

Light Prep for the Strawberry Gorilla

Here’s the Blurple, the skinny off the back, and installed with a test. This is the deal on the 14th. All we do is plug it in to the second three-prong input on the timer. Good timer. Lol. It will run whenever the full spectrum runs. The whole time. At the time I got it they billed it as a 1200 watt light. Yoda says, it’s not really, get two. Lol. So I did. And my first grow was blind lucky great. Check out the actual wattage draw. Lmao. Perfect for this purpose.

 

[InTheShed]

Check out the actual wattage draw. Lmao.

And the top flight machining!

 

[Jon]

And the top flight machining!

Lmao! I know, right? And I’ve never dropped it or anything, it came like that. Funny thing is, talk about how fast the technology moves - I got these when I started three years ago. Sure they were Zon cheapies even back then. But they didn’t look like fossils three years ago, they were as good as pretty much any other Blurple. Blurples today are much better. If you gotta use them. I fail to see why they didn’t understand that 10-watt, low bin LEDs are total crap. Wouldn’t beta testing have revealed the weaknesses? Why did it take so long (relatively speaking) for even cheapie Blurple makers to start using smaller LEDs and more of them? Lol. I mean this light honestly is not too different than my set of LED stage lights. You know those four round light LED stage light bars you toss on a pole that everyone uses nowadays for bar gigs? Those lights. Not too different than my Blurple. It would be interesting to compare their specs although the stage lights didn’t come with a par chart. Heh.

 

[Jon]

Lmao! I know, right? And I’ve never dropped it or anything, it came like that. Funny thing is, talk about how fast the technology moves - I got these when I started three years ago. Sure they were Zon cheapies even back then. But they didn’t look like fossils three years ago, they were as good as pretty much any other Blurple. Blurples today are much better. If you gotta use them. I fail to see why they didn’t understand that 10-watt, low bin LEDs are total crap. Wouldn’t beta testing have revealed the weaknesses? Why did it take so long (relatively speaking) for even cheapie Blurple makers to start using smaller LEDs and more of them? Lol. I mean this light honestly is not too different than my set of LED stage lights. You know those four round light LED stage light bars you toss on a pole that everyone uses nowadays for bar gigs? Those lights. Not too different than my Blurple. It would be interesting to compare their specs although the stage lights didn’t come with a par chart. Heh.

In Maxsisun’s defense, I really think they are as good an inexpensive LED maker as there is in the Far East. I like them enough that I bough their PB4000, which is a banging little light in its own right. I used it on my solo plant Jelly Rancher grow a long time ago. It’s out on loan.

 

[Jon]

Light Prep for the Strawberry Gorilla

Here’s the Blurple, the skinny off the back, and installed with a test. This is the deal on the 14th. All we do is plug it in to the second three-prong input on the timer. Good timer. Lol. It will run whenever the full spectrum runs. The whole time. At the time I got it they billed it as a 1200 watt light. Yoda says, it’s not really, get two. Lol. So I did. And my first grow was blind lucky great. Check out the actual wattage draw. Lmao. Perfect for this purpose.

420 + 263 = 683. If the Blurple was at full spectrum this is how many watts I’d have on the plant. Using the reds it’s a little less, but still around 600 watts. Pretty sure that’s enough for one plant. Lol!!

 

[bluter]

have you ever grown under stage lights ? we have. we even used stage cobs before they were commercially available to the grow market.

420 + 263 = 683. If the Blurple was at full spectrum this is how many watts I’d have on the plant. Using the reds it’s a little less, but still around 600 watts. Pretty sure that’s enough for one plant. Lol!!

i can't deliver that. it can only deliver what the driver pushes, not what the led claim is. the 260w is all that rig can do.

edit : this used to be the major complaint about led mfgrs making exaggerated claims.

 

[Jon]

have you ever grown under stage lights ? we have. we even used stage cobs before they were commercially available to the grow market.




i can't deliver that. it can only deliver what the driver pushes, not what the led claim is. the 260w is all that rig can do.

edit : this used to be the major complaint about led mfgrs making exaggerated claims.

@bluter — Never used stage lights. Interesting.

The numbers include the true 420 watts from the NextLight. Correct, the Blurple only puts out the true wattage and the true wattage it’s putting out today at full power is even less after three years, and on reds only even less than that. So I added 420 for the NextLight cuz that’s what it puts out and is true wattage draw, and estimated the loss from 263 to 200 on the Blurple. If it’s putting out more than 200 watts I’d be surprised. So total = 620. See? I know the light (any light) only puts out its actual wattage draw of course.

 

[bluter]

@bluter — Never used stage lights. Interesting.

The numbers include the true 420 watts from the NextLight. Correct, the Blurple only puts out the true wattage and the true wattage it’s putting out today at full power is even less after three years, and on reds only even less than that. So I added 420 for the NextLight cuz that’s what it puts out and is true wattage draw, and estimated the loss from 263 to 200 on the Blurple. If it’s putting out more than 200 watts I’d be surprised. So total = 620. See? I know the light (any light) only puts out its actual wattage draw of course.

it looked like you were only discussing the burple. the burple was trying to infer it could put out up to 1200 watts, based on 120 diodes running a theoretical 10w max.

 

[Jon]

@bluter — Never used stage lights. Interesting.

The numbers include the true 420 watts from the NextLight. Correct, the Blurple only puts out the true wattage and the true wattage it’s putting out today at full power is even less after three years, and on reds only even less than that. So I added 420 for the NextLight cuz that’s what it puts out and is true wattage draw, and estimated the loss from 263 to 200 on the Blurple. If it’s putting out more than 200 watts I’d be surprised. So total = 620. See? I know the light (any light) only puts out its actual wattage draw of course.

It’s funny - a few of the diodes are dying and instead of just going out, they seem to fade out over days. Weird.

 

[Jon]

it looked like you were only discussing the burple. the burple was trying to infer it could put out up to 1200 watts, based on 120 diodes running a theoretical 10w max.

I gotcha, I could tell you thought that. That’s why I said what I said, just so we’re on the same page.


And yeah I know! The exaggerations were RIDICULOUS. This one is a great example. Billed as a 1200 watt LED. 263 actual draw. Close. Lmao

 

[Jon]

@ViparSpectra Tent
Sorta Scrog
Cherry Pie
Double Grape

I suspect this Cherry Pie can get real big if not squashed like this. She just keeps growing and seems to hate the training. She fought me this entire time. Reading the plant, for me, says this one should be far less constrained and she’d be happier.

The Double Grape has been surprisingly cooperative. She has far less stiff stems and is easy to train. She orders herself out real well as you see here. Easy to train and she has taken to it well. Could go any way with this one I think.

The timing between the two couldn’t be more exactly the same. As you see here, by tomorrow or Monday both will have budlets at all their bud sites. That’s the same timing to the day! A nice coincidence for a two plant scrog. And assuming @con is correct in his counting, this is about day 40. Fairly longish to budlets. Always a plus.

The XS1500 Pros are awesome for scrogs Val! The evenness of the coverag really stands out when they do a scrog. I have equal growth all around. Horizontally and vertically. My ppfd numbers across the whole canopy are remarkably similar and consistent, where the tops are a little above the screen I’m at about 950-975. That’s very small variation left to right.

Both plants seem healthy. I’ll take their brix readings going into flower later on after they’ve been awake half a day or so. If I get two numbers 12 or higher my understanding is I’m doing pretty okay. Such an interesting and accurate way to gauge your plants health. I’m so into brix right now. Lmao.

Here’s the deal.

 

[bluter]

have you flipped yet ? one of the plants has a little edging. slight hunger / pk ask.

 

[con]

@ViparSpectra Tent
Sorta Scrog
Cherry Pie
Double Grape

I suspect this Cherry Pie can get real big if not squashed like this. She just keeps growing and seems to hate the training. She fought me this entire time. Reading the plant, for me, says this one should be far less constrained and she’d be happier.

The Double Grape has been surprisingly cooperative. She has far less stiff stems and is easy to train. She orders herself out real well as you see here. Easy to train and she has taken to it well. Could go any way with this one I think.

The timing between the two couldn’t be more exactly the same. As you see here, by tomorrow or Monday both will have budlets at all their bud sites. That’s the same timing to the day! A nice coincidence for a two plant scrog. And assuming @con is correct in his counting, this is about day 40. Fairly longish to budlets. Always a plus.

The XS1500 Pros are awesome for scrogs Val! The evenness of the coverag really stands out when they do a scrog. I have equal growth all around. Horizontally and vertically. My ppfd numbers across the whole canopy are remarkably similar and consistent, where the tops are a little above the screen I’m at about 950-975. That’s very small variation left to right.

Both plants seem healthy. I’ll take their brix readings going into flower later on after they’ve been awake half a day or so. If I get two numbers 12 or higher my understanding is I’m doing pretty okay. Such an interesting and accurate way to gauge your plants health. I’m so into brix right now. Lmao.

Here’s the deal.

plants are looking great there

Jon​

 

[Jon]

420h Closet
Strawberry Gorilla
Blackberry Moonrocks

Here’s the SG from above:

IMG_2536.jpeg

• Jon
• Oct 7, 2023

Here’s a shot to show you the extent of stretch:

IMG_2537.jpeg

• Jon
• Oct 7, 2023

This is what her spacing looks like:

IMG_2538.jpeg

• Jon
• Oct 7, 2023

This shot shows that I have trimmed most of the small shoots that always pop out low on the cola branches and outside the ring. They generally amount to nothing. I kept four or five that were basically at the same level as the center.

IMG_2541.jpeg

• Jon
• Oct 7, 2023

Looks like she’ll be a frosty one. 420FastBuds provides a TON of good info on this strain, including actual test results and videos from the cannabis cup from which this strain took several awards home, (competing against photos!), so she sure as hell better be. If you don’t get that, or just for kicks, go to their site and look up this strain. Lol.

IMG_2539.jpeg

• Jon
• Oct 7, 2023

Here’s the Blackberry Moonrocks. The cola dead center is the main. This plant is way tighter than the SG. Shorter. More indica leaning. I’m leaving the main untopped and basically running her untrained.

IMG_2540.jpeg

• Jon
• Oct 7, 2023

The closet is copacetic.

 

[Jon]

have you flipped yet ? one of the plants has a little edging. slight hunger / pk ask.

Hey @bluter - these are autos. Yes they have flipped. They are about to form budlets. As a Guinea pig experiment, I am running them Remo by the book, to see how by the book Remo performs with no extra additives. So I guess you are referring to the bigger of the two plants, the Cherry Pie? I see what you see. I could fix it easily and know how. But since I committed to this experiment, I’m leaving it go unless it gets to the point where I must do something. Plus, they are on flower week one feed now. Just started basically. So they will now begin to get a ton more P and K, as Remo gets hot in flower - check out the numbers! So I hear you. You see where I’m coming from?

 

[Jon]

Hi @Azimuth - got a question for you. I understand how EWC helps and seemingly is almost a necessity for an organic or semi organic grow. But what about with autos in coco with Remo? I don’t see the benefit there but I don’t know. What would that deal look like? Thanks!

 

[Azimuth]

I understand how EWC helps

You have no idea!

The microbes in good castings are some of the most incredible additions to an organic grow you can get. They can help combat Damping Off Disease when popping seeds, all the way to help break things down at the end of a grow, not to mention the goodies they bring to the soil during a grow.

I don't grow in coco, but I do know @Bill284 uses a mix of organic inputs in his coco grow. I think castings are one of them but you'd probably know that better than I.

I also have never used Remo. Do they bring microbes in as part of the fertigation process?

That said, worm castings won't hurt anything and may help. Not much downside to using them, really. They can dry to a concrete-like consistency if you add a thick layer and then wet them and let them dry on top of the soil, but I put mine under a mulch layer and don't have that issue.

They are nicknamed "unicorn poop" for the almost unbelievable goodness they bring.

 

[Jon]

You have no idea!

The microbes in good castings are some of the most incredible additions to an organic grow you can get. They can help combat Damping Off Disease when popping seeds, all the way to help break things down at the end of a grow, not to mention the goodies they bring to the soil during a grow.

I don't grow in coco, but I do know @Bill284 uses a mix of organic inputs in his coco grow. I think castings are one of them but you'd probably know that better than I.

I also have never used Remo. Do they bring microbes in as part of the fertigation process?

That said, worm castings won't hurt anything and may help. Not much downside to using them, really. They can dry to a concrete-like consistency if you add a thick layer and then wet them and let them dry on top of the soil, but I put mine under a mulch layer and don't have that issue.

They are nicknamed "unicorn poop" for the almost unbelievable goodness they bring.

Awesome! Thanks for the education! Ok done deal. When they come, it’s on. Literally. Lol. I’m sold. That’s a non chemical addition and I can still feel okay with the Remo by the books in the nutes.

 

[Jon]

Awesome! Thanks for the education! Ok done deal. When they come, it’s on. Literally. Lol. I’m sold. That’s a non chemical addition and I can still feel okay with the Remo by the books in the nutes.

Yeah Bill taught me. We use bokashi and frass and I myco at uppot. I also use Wholly Mackerel and Kelp Me Kelp You to water in.

No, Remo is pretty crobe free.

 

[Azimuth]

Yeah Bill taught me. We use bokashi and frass and I myco at uppot. I also use Wholly Mackerel and Kelp Me Kelp You to water in.

No, Remo is pretty crobe free.

Then I would definitely add microbes. You can do it with Dynomyco, Great White, leaf mold soil, etc., but I like to do it with worm castings. There's something about going through the gut of a worm that transforms stuff into unexpected goodness. Plus, they come out covered in a calcium carbonate slime, and who doesn't want a good calcium source for their grow?